Detroit - Worried workers and some political leaders find it easy to blame foreign competitors for American economic woes, and local reaction is often harsh when Asian or European companies acquire U.S. businesses or build on American soil. Author and journalist Micheline Maynard says we need to take a second, more positive look at what foreign investment brings to ordinary Americans.
Maynard will speak on her book The Selling of the American Economy: How Foreign Companies are Remaking the American Dream at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25, at Wayne State University's Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium. The free lecture is sponsored by the Center for the Study of Citizenship and will include a moderated panel discussion with responses from Nancy Cappola, director of TechTown's Soft Landing initiative, and Ahmad Ezzeddine, WSU associate provost of outreach and international programs. A book signing will follow the discussion.
Maynard's book, published last year, takes an honest look not only at the reactions Americans have had to market-changing foreign involvement - often public outcry against perceived loss of jobs or market share - but also at the employment, investment and market-building caused by inclusion of foreign business in the domestic economy.
"We believe that Micki Maynard's book has as much to say about citizenship issues, particularly issues that might be thought of in terms of immigration, as it does about business matters," said Marc W. Kruman, director, Center for the Study of Citizenship. "What she has done with her journalistic skills is to present a thought-provoking picture of corporations such as Airbus, Tata, and Toyota venturing into America with the intention of participating, rather than simply profiting. Her talk will be of importance to all those who are interested in reviving the Midwestern economy."
Maynard is the former senior business correspondent at The New York Times and now is senior broadcast editor for the new Upper Midwest Local Journalism Center based in Chicago and its new editorial initiative titled "Changing Gears: Remaking the Manufacturing Belt." She has long had an interest in the unexpected changes that U.S. industries have undergone in recent decades. Her previous book, The End of Detroit, chronicled the decline of domestic auto brands in the face of overseas competition. Maynard is the 2009 recipient of the Nathanial Nash Award for excellence in business journalism. The Ann Arbor resident is a regular guest on CNBC and NPR broadcasts; her work has appeared in USA Today and U.S. News & World Report.
Admission to the event is free, but attendees are requested to reserve space at https://specialevents.wayne.edu/selling-of-the-american-economy. The event may also be viewed live through Internet streaming at a link on the center's website at www.clas.wayne.edu/citizenship.
Sponsors for the Oct. 25 program include MGM Grand Detroit; Changing Gears: Remaking the Manufacturing Belt; WSU School of Business Administration; WSU Office of International Programs; WSU Department of Psychology; Irvin D. Reid Honors College; The Eugene Applebaum Chair in Community Engagement and the Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society (FOCIS); and the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit.
The Center for the Study of Citizenship at Wayne State University is the premier global institute for the study and the promotion of citizenship. For more information, visit http://www.clas.wayne.edu/citizenship.
Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students. For more information about Wayne State University, visit http://www.wayne.edu.